Page 25 of Voyage of Magic and Malice (The Vampires of Charleston #3)

TWENTY-FIVE

true love

Sitting on the edge of the bed, I find myself staring at Brayden’s gift. The crystal’s blue is almost otherworldly—an iridescent hue that seems to shift and shimmer beyond words. It’s as if the color exists between dimensions, both vibrant and muted, dark yet translucent. At times, it almost feels alive. Then, in an instant, it softens, rippling with shades of blue as if the color itself is…breathing.

“It’s beautiful,” Thorne says, interrupting whatever the hell I’m doing.

“Aye. It is.” I close my fingers around the crystal, breaking the invisible spell it’s placed me under. “I feel like it’s more than just a beautiful crystal.”

“Knowing the kid, it probably is.”

I place the crystal on the nightstand and turn toward the man I’ve loved for what seems like forever. “I was scared.” Thorne turns his full attention toward me as I admit something I’ve never admitted before.

“It’s okay, acushla.”

“I need to say this.” I swallow the heavy lump in my throat. A very human action for a vampire. “For the first time since finding you again, I was scared you would die.” Saying the words out loud sounds even more vulnerable than I imagined. Thorne is the only person I would ever open myself up to. “I couldn’t bear losing you. I’ve lost everyone that’s ever meant anything to me.” I scoff. “Gods, that sounded so selfish. I’m sorry, Thorne.”

“Don’t apologize.”

“I should’ve come after you sooner.”

Strong fingers link into mine. “Elsie, stop. Everything happened the way it needed to happen. The children needed to be free from Eudora, who needed to leave this world. If you had come after me without them, you wouldn’t have been strong enough to defeat Serafina. Everything happens for a reason. Sometimes we don’t know why, sometimes we do.”

“How are you so smart?”

He shrugs. “I know I can never take back the things I said while…” I place my index finger on his lips, stopping his words.

“I know. You were under Serafina’s binding. They weren’t your words.”

“I love you, acushla.” He leans over, kissing me on the forehead. “I’ve missed your forehead.”

I laugh at his admission. “I’ve never thought of my forehead as being my best feature.”

“It’s one of my favorites. So is this.” He leans down further, kissing my cheek.

“What about these? Have you missed them?” I gently rub my index finger over my gloss-covered lips.

“I’ve missed those the most.” He gently places his lips on mine. His kisses are gentle—soft pecks on my quickly swollen lips. Thorne’s callused hand moves to my cheek, rubbing his thumb across the skin, offering both comfort and heat with his touch. My breath catches as his kisses become more aggressive than before. A soft moan forces my lips apart, and he takes advantage by pushing his tongue inside. The moment our tongues connect, heat explodes throughout my body. I’ve lost track of how much time has passed since we’ve had the opportunity to enjoy each other.

Reaching between the seams on his shirt, I don’t waste time unbuttoning. I rip the shirt, exposing his rigid chest. Running my hands over each ab, I relish the feel under my fingertips. “I’ve missed you,” I whisper into his mouth. “I’ve missed us.”

Thorne slides his hand under the hem of my shirt, slowly making his way to the tip of my breast. A second breath catches as his thumb rubs the nub that’s swollen with desire. I’m quickly becoming his thumb’s number one fan.

“Is this okay?” he asks, pulling the edge of the shirt toward my head.

“It’s more than okay.” The casual speed of my shirt removal gets on my nerves. Reaching past his hand, I rip the cotton nearly in half, pulling the shreds over my head. Thorne’s laugh is deep, doing even more things to me.

“I’ve missed this.” He sighs. I reach around, unlatching the bra that’s been holding my breasts in place. Thorne’s pupils grow slightly at the sight of my bare chest.

I place a hand on each of his shoulders and push him back to the bed. “I’ve missed this,” I answer, kissing his neck and slowly working my way down to the belt holding his jeans in place. Instead of the speed I used to remove my shirt and bra, I move purposefully slow unlatching the leather and the clip holding the belt. The bulge under his jeans lets me know I’m not the only one ready to go.

Straddling his hips, I unbutton and unzip the jeans just as slowly as the belt. Even though it’s not necessary for a vampire to breathe, Thorne’s chest is rising and falling much faster than normal. “If you don’t hurry,” he sighs, “I’m—” He stops.

“You’ll what?”

Without warning, he flips, putting me underneath him and pressing the hardest part of him into just the right spot. “I’ll do this,” he answers breathlessly just before he takes my nipple into his mouth. While his tongue assaults one nipple, his hand takes care of the other. Rolling, twisting, and sucking. The trifecta of enjoyment. My hips rise to meet him, matching the tempo of his fingers.

“Elsie.” He sighs. I don’t wait for Thorne. Reaching between us, I pull the borrowed sweatpants I’m wearing down along with the thin pair of panties underneath. He pulls back, admiring my body and making me more self-conscious than usual. “You’re beautiful.”

My normal snarky response is cut short by Thorne sliding down my chest and stomach, leaving a trail of kisses along the way. He works his way to the exact spot I want him, and my breath catches. “Spread your legs,” he demands—his voice deep.

I do as he says, pulling my knees as far to the side as possible. He slides down, resting his shoulders on my thighs. The moment his tongue makes contact, I squirm under the connection. He slowly slides his tongue in all the right places, stopping on the part that’s begging to be touched. “Is this what you want?”

“Yes.”

“Tell me what you want me to do.”

“Touch me.”

“Tell me, acushla.” He teases my clit with his tongue, pulling away seconds later.

“I want…” He teases me again, taking my words away.

“Tell me.” I arch my hips, trying to reach his mouth. He moves, evading my attempts. “Tell me, Elsie.”

“Make me cum.” I pant, gripping his head with my hands. He gives in, sucking my clit into his mouth and rubbing the tip of his tongue against the pulsing body part. He doesn’t stop there. His fingers are inside of me seconds later, finding the perfect spot to rub.

Our connection hits without warning. My body melts into butter under his touch as my legs begin to shudder. “Cum for me, baby,” he says between assaults.

He doesn’t have to tell me again. My body is refusing any other options. One last tongue and finger rub in unison, and my body explodes in a loud burst of uncontrolled passion. Undoubtedly, everyone in the house is witness to what I just experienced, and I’m not the least bit embarrassed. My body continues to tingle under his touch until I push him away to recover. “That was perfect,” I whisper.

“I love seeing you like that.” Thorne’s eyes are wide with desire. Stealing his earlier move, I wrap my legs around his thighs, flipping both of us. With him on the bottom, I begin to slowly grind my hips. “Elsie,” he growls.

I pull back. “Did you just growl at me?”

“Aye. You’re doing things to me that I can’t control.”

I move inches from his ear. “Do you want me to stop?”

“Don’t you dare.”

Sitting up, I shimmy the unbuckled and unzipped jeans down his hips to the top of his thighs. “It’s your turn.” I lean forward, kissing each one of the muscles, and working my way up to his lips. Taking his lower lip between my teeth, I bite just enough to draw a small trickle of blood.

“Ouch.” He breathes into my mouth. “I liked that.”

“Then you’re going to really like this.” The moan he lets out encourages me as I run my body against the length of him—teasing him. I repeat the motion, this time leaving enough room for my hand to guide him where I want him. Lining us up, I lower myself slowly. The sensation of him filling me nearly pushes me over the edge. Lacing my fingers through his, I force his hands to his sides, lowering my body completely and leaving no space between us.

“Acushla,” he murmurs. Sliding up and down, I continue moving while holding him in place. I cover his lips with mine, moving my hips in tempo with my tongue. The sensation I now recognize as my ability begins to build deep in my core. Ignoring the nagging energy, I continue my assault on Thorne. His sighs urge me to keep going.

Without warning, he pulls his arms free of my hold and wraps them around my hips. Energy flows through our connection and joins with what’s in my core. “Fuck,” he whispers. Strong fingers grasp my hips as the tension between us builds more than anything I’ve felt before.

We explode in unison, and our magic collides, igniting something between us. Something magical. Shockwaves flutter through my body, our energies spiraling together until it’s impossible to tell where I end and he begins. The air around us hums, charged with power like the universe is holding its breath along with me.

“Thorne,” I breathe. “Did you feel that?”

“Aye. I don’t know what it was, but I’m a fan.”

Waiting for my breath to slow down before rolling to Thorne’s side. We lay in silence for a while, enjoying each other’s energy.

“What now?” I ask.

“I’m okay with doing that again.”

I punch him gently in the arm. “I mean with life. Now that we’ve saved the world a few times, I’m not sure what the future holds.”

Thorne’s deep laugh echoes off the wooden walls. “The way things seem to go, I’m sure we’ll have the opportunity again…probably tomorrow.”

“Elsie,” a whisper wisps through my mind.

“Aye?” I answer.

“I said, the way things seem to go…”

“No. After that, you called my name.”

“Elsie.” I hear it again. This time the timbre of the voice is different.

“One of the kids must be calling me. Can you hear it?”

Thorne shakes his head. “No. My head is blissfully silent.”

“Alex, Everly, Autumn? Is one of you calling me?”

“No,” Alex answers for the group.

“Elsbeth.” I hear the call again.

“You seriously don’t hear that?” I ask Thorne. He shakes his head. I’m out of bed and dressed a heartbeat later. An overwhelming desire to find the grimoire hits, refusing to be ignored.

“Where are you going?”

“To the grimoire.” Thorne is up and dressed a second later. The two of us move downstairs, finding the book exactly where I left it, in Fran’s private office/library. Moving closer, the energy flowing from it is stronger than I’ve felt before. “Do you feel that?”

“Aye. It feels…alive.”

The rune burned from the front has reappeared and fills the charred remains of the once-solid cover. Laying my hand on top, I feel the magic of Aaron’s work flow through me.

“Open it,” Thorne whispers. “It wants you to.”

Opening the book to no specific page, I’m surprised to see most of the previously blank pages are now full of Aaron’s perfect script. “It’s nearly full.”

A folded piece of parchment paper falls to the floor. “That wasn’t there before.” Picking it up, the name across the top surprises me. “It’s for me—from Aaron.”

“I’ll give you some time.” Thorne moves toward the door.

“No. Please stay. This involves both of us.”

Tears fill my eyes at the greeting neatly written across the top. “My dearest, Elsbeth,” I whisper. “If you’re reading this, it means the time has come for you to embrace the power that has always been yours. I know this path isn’t easy…magic rarely is. It demands patience, courage, and the willingness to see yourself for who you truly are.

“The grimoire you hold is not just a book—it’s a legacy. One that I leave in your hands with full confidence that you will honor it. Learn from it. Grow with it. And, most importantly, trust yourself. Magic is not about perfection. It’s about connection to the world, to others, and to yourself.

“You are stronger than you know, Elsie. The trials you face are not meant to break you—they are meant to refine you. You’ve already proven that you can rise above pain, loss, and even death itself. What is magic compared to that?

“Take your time. Be patient with yourself. When the world feels heavy and the magic seems impossible to control, remember who you are.

“You are not alone in this, and you never will be. My love and my guidance are with you, even now. Remember, I’ll see you in the shadows. With all my heart, Aaron.” My voice cracks as I read his name. To think the infant that I was afraid wouldn’t survive the trip to Charles Town, turned into a man with this much wisdom, is nearly overwhelming.

“I love you, too, Aaron,” I whisper.